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Carrollton, TX—June 17, 2002— Risking his own safety to
help fleeing refugees at the Pakistan/India border, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary
trainee in Kashmir was found murdered earlier this month. The Indian-born student was
training for pioneer evangelism ministry at a GFA Bible school located five kilometers
from the Pakistan border. GFA leaders in India believe that Muslim extremists are
responsible for his death.
“We are grieved over the loss of this young man,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder
and president of Gospel for Asia, a missions organization based near Dallas, Texas.
“He gave it all, and our hearts are with his family.” Though senior ministry
leaders had authorized all GFA workers to leave the area, the student and 46 others chose
to stay behind to assist the refugees being displaced by border unrest. “Our workers
are scattered along the border areas of Kashmir,” continued Yohannan, “showing
the love of Christ to those who are fearing for their lives.”
Since the war in Afghanistan began last year, dozens of terrorist groups are active near
GFA’s Bible school in Kashmir. Recently several GFA workers narrowly escaped death
when a bus they had just stepped off of exploded.
Gospel for Asia, established in 1979, is engaged in pioneer evangelism and church planting
in the 10/40 Window. More than 13,000 national workers in eight nations—India,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—have established
17,500 church fellowships and mission stations in the last ten years. Gospel for Asia also
operates 128 Bible schools on the Indian subcontinent, where nearly 7,000 young men and
women are preparing for pioneer ministry.
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